शंभुरुवाच- अयमासीत्पुरा कश्चित्क्षत्त्रियः क्रोधनः सदा । नष्टभार्यो नष्टसेनो नष्टराष्ट्रोतिदुःखितः
Shambhu said: 'Once there was a certain kshatriya, always wrathful; he lost his wife, his army, and his kingdom, and was greatly afflicted.'
लब्ध्वा लुलाय द्वितयं कृषिं चक्रे सहात्मजैः । ऋणेन महता युक्तः पुनश्चातीव दुःखितः
Having obtained two oxen, he took up farming with his sons; burdened by great debt, he again became extremely distressed.
पुनश्च दुःखितो राजा सर्पेण सुतनाशनात् । तथाभूतो महीपालस्तत्याज कृषिमप्युत
Again the king was grieved, for a snake caused the death of his son; thus afflicted, the ruler abandoned even farming.
परित्यज्य सुतौ चापि त्यक्ताहारो रुरोद ह । सुतावथ समागम्य प्राहतुः पितरं त्विदम्
He gave up his two sons as well, and, forsaking food, he wept; then the two sons came together and spoke these words to their father.
किमर्थं रुद्यते तात नष्टो नायाति रोदनात् । शरीरशोषणायाथ शोकस्तेऽद्य भविष्यति
Why do you weep, dear one? The lost does not return by crying; your sorrow today will only bring the wasting of your body.
शोकेन चक्षुषी नष्टे कंठो नष्टस्तथा तव । अनुष्ठानं तथा नष्टं किमर्थं परितप्यसे
Through grief, your eyes are lost, your throat is lost as well; your ability to act is lost—why do you torment yourself?
एको नष्टो न चायाति रक्ष पंचस्थितानसून् । बहूनां रक्षणं पुण्यमाश्रितानां विशेषतः
One is lost and does not return; protect the five who remain alive. Especially, the protection of many who depend on you is meritorious.
अन्याश्रितममुं शत्रुं कथं शोचितुमर्हसि । पितोवाच- पुत्रः शत्रुः कथं पुत्रौ युवां शत्रू तथा च मे
How can you grieve for that enemy who relied on another? Father said: How is a son an enemy? You two are also enemies to me.
अत्यंतसुखिनं पुत्रं कथं शत्रुमभाषतम् । सुतावूचतुः जायमानो हरेद्भार्यां वर्द्धमानो हरेद्धनम्
How did you call the son, who was supremely happy, an enemy? The sons said: When born, he takes the wife; as he grows, he takes wealth.
म्रियमाणस्तथा प्राणाञ्छत्रुत्वं किमतः परम् । यत्सुखं च त्वया प्रोक्तं स्पर्शनालिंगनादिभिः
When dying, he takes the life-breath; what greater enmity is there? And the happiness you spoke of—touching, embracing, and so on—
दुःखोदर्कमिदं राजन्सर्वमेतद्वदामि ते । प्रसूतिकाले पुत्रस्य भार्यानाशविचारणा
All this, O king, I tell you, leads to sorrow in the end. At the time of birth, the son's wife is lost without consideration.
जीवितायामथोपत्न्यामात्मनः सुखनाशनम् । योन्यशुद्धौ तु जातायां संयोगो नोपपद्यते
For the sake of life, even with a second wife, one's own happiness is destroyed. If born from an impure womb, union does not occur.
आलिंगनपरे गाढं स्तन्येनांगं परिप्लुते । तथापि यदि संयोगः शिशुरोदनताः स्त्रियाः
Even when tightly embraced, the body soaked with milk, if union occurs, the woman is subject to the child's crying.
दृढं शिशुगतं चित्तं ततो वैरस्यमेव च । अथ चेत्पतितो डिंभो मध्ये मैथुनमुद्गतिः
The mind is firmly fixed on the child, and so there is estrangement. If the infant falls between, intercourse is interrupted.
रतिमध्ये तु विच्छेदे दुःखं किंचिदसन्निभम् । सर्वकाले परिमिते कदाचिद्रतिसंभवः
If intercourse is interrupted in the midst of pleasure, there is some suffering. At all times, pleasure is limited; sometimes, union occurs.
तत्काले भोजनं नास्ति स्वापो नास्ति च भार्यया । शिशूनां रक्षणे दुःखं व्याधितर्षग्रहादिभिः
At that time, there is no food, no sleep with the wife. In protecting children, there is suffering from disease, thirst, and afflictions.
तन्मतं यत्सुखं चित्रं यथांकारोहणं पितुः । आलिंगनकृतं तात चुंबनादिकृतं तथा
That happiness, which is considered remarkable, like a father riding on his child, or caused by embracing and kissing, dear one—
अत्यन्तमधुरोक्त्यादि यत्सुखानि नरेश्वर । रतिमध्ये विरामस्य कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्
All those pleasures, O king, from sweet words and so on, do not equal even a sixteenth part of the pleasure of intercourse at its peak.
अन्यान्यपि च दुःखानि संति पुत्रे सहस्रशः । अनेन त्वं किं क्रियसे इहामुत्र विरोधिना
There are also countless other sufferings with a son. What are you doing here and hereafter with such an adversary?
त्यज शोकमिदं तस्मादावां पुत्रौ स्थिताविह । श्रीराजोवाच-। त्यजामि शोकं दुर्वारं सर्वकार्यविरोधिनम्
Therefore, abandon this sorrow; we two sons remain here. The king said: I abandon this uncontrollable sorrow, which opposes all action.
आत्मनश्च हितं कार्यमिहामुत्र सुतौ मम । पुरोधसं तु गच्छामि मम पूर्वं महागुरुम्
For the benefit of myself, my sons, here and hereafter, I go to the priest, my former great teacher.
वसिष्ठं मुनिवर्यं च स दास्यति गतिं मम । एवमुक्त्वा गतो विप्रं वाराणस्यां स्थितं गुरुम्
To Vasiṣṭha, the foremost sage, who will give me guidance. Having spoken thus, he went to the priest, the guru residing in Vārāṇasī.
दंडवत्प्रणनामाथ मुनिना परिपूजितः । आलिंगितशिरो घ्रातो दत्तासनपरिग्रहः
Then, having bowed down in reverence, the sage was duly honored: his head was embraced and smelled, and he was offered a seat.
उक्तश्चागमनं किं ते किं कार्य्यं करवाणि वै । राजोवाच- गतिं प्रयच्छ मे विप्र संसारतरणाय हि
He was asked, 'Why have you come? What task shall I perform for you?' The king said: 'Grant me a path, O Brahmin, for crossing the ocean of worldly existence.'
खिन्नोहं कर्मणा शश्वद्भवंतं शरणं गतः । वसिष्ठ उवाच- गतिं पश्य महालिंगं विश्वेश्वरमिति स्थितम्
I am weary from actions; I have come to you for refuge always. Vasiṣṭha said: 'Behold the great liṅga, established as Lord of the Universe.'
एनं पूजय राजेंद्र देवदेवं पिनाकिनम् । यमाराध्य पुरा शक्तिररुंधत्याः सुतो मुनिः
Worship that Lord of gods, O king, the bearer of the pināka bow, whom the sage, son of Arundhatī, once propitiated through austerity.
रक्षसा भक्षितश्चापि यमलोकं गतो न सः । किंचित्कालं गतः स्वर्गं ब्रह्मलोकमगादतः
Though devoured by a demon, he did not go to Yama's realm; for a time he went to heaven, and from there attained Brahmā's world.
ब्रह्मलोकाद्विष्णुलोके क्रीडन्नास्ते सुतो मम । अमुं पश्य महाराज लुब्धकं वनचारिणम्
From Brahmā's world, my son now dwells playing in Viṣṇu's realm. Behold, O great king, that hunter roaming the forest.
पूजयंतं हि विश्वेशं पत्रमात्रै स्वसंभृतैः । शमीवृक्षस्य संभूतैस्तथा पूगप्रसूनकैः
See him worshipping Viśveśvara with only leaves he has gathered himself, from the śamī tree and with areca flowers.
कदंबकुसुमैरर्ककुसुमैर्यूथिकाभवैः । एतैरन्यैर्महेशानं पूजयंतं विलोकय
With kadamba blossoms, arka flowers, and yūthikā buds—behold him worshipping Maheśāna with these and other offerings.